Chapter Twenty-Three: Expanding the Roads in the Western Frontier
In the autumn of the twenty-fifth year of the Zhenguan era, an unprecedented caravan from the Western Regions arrived at the West Market of Chang'an. Three hundred camels were laden with spices, glass, and rare gems. The caravan was led by an old Persian merchant named Ardan, accompanied by the Arab mathematician Ibrahim and the Sogdian financial official Seris.
The arrival of this caravan immediately caught Liu Bao'er's attention.
"Master, I heard that the goods they're taking this time are worth over 100,000 strings of cash," Hu Liu reported, his voice trembling. "All the warehouses in the West Market are full, and they're still looking for places to store the goods."
Liu Bao'er stood by the window on the second floor of Datong Pawnshop, gazing at the dust rising from the direction of the West Market. The gold abacus hairpin in her hair gleamed in the autumn sun, just like the sharp glint in her eyes at that moment.
"Prepare the car; let's go meet this Mr. Aldan."
At the most luxurious "Persian Mansion" in the West Market, Liu Bao'er met this legendary merchant. Aldan was about fifty years old, with deep-set eyes and a high nose, and the turquoise ring on his finger indicated his noble status.
"Your Excellency," Ardan's Tang language, though tinged with an exotic accent, was fluent, "has long heard of the 'Goddess of Wealth's' reputation, and meeting her today, I can confirm it is indeed well-deserved."
"You flatter me, sir," Liu Bao'er returned the greeting with a slight bow, her gaze sweeping over the goods displayed in the room. "I wonder what you intend to do with these treasures, sir?"
Ardan sighed, "To be honest, Madam, we've been traveling for a whole year with these goods from Persia to the Abbasid Caliphate, and then to the Tang Dynasty. The goods are of good quality, but we're struggling to find suitable buyers. If we break them up and sell them separately, I don't know how long it will take."
Ibrahim added, "More importantly, even if we sell the goods and return to Persia with a large sum of money, the risks along the way are even greater."
Liu Bao'er gently turned the teacup, then suddenly asked, "Sir, do you know about the Silk Road gold vouchers from Datong Store?"
"I've heard about it, but..." Aldan hesitated, "we believe more in real money."
"Is there a way for you to sell your goods here and get the money back in Persia?"
Aldan's eyes lit up immediately.
Three days later, an unprecedented negotiation began in the council hall of Datong Store. On Liu Bao'er's side sat Cui Jiulang and several managers well-versed in Western Regions affairs, while opposite them sat Aldan and his advisors.
"A two-way pledge." Liu Bao'er drew a simple diagram on parchment. "Sir, you deposit some goods at the Datong Exchange as collateral, and the Persian merchant group must also provide corresponding guarantees. We will issue Silk Road Gold Certificates based on the value of the collateral."
Ibrahim immediately questioned, "How can we believe that money can be obtained with just a piece of paper in faraway Persia?"
"It's not just a piece of paper." Liu Bao'er took out a sample of the newly designed gold voucher. "This is a specially made voucher with three layers of anti-counterfeiting measures. More importantly..."
She clapped her hands, and Hu Liu led three merchants in.
"These three are representatives of the Sogdian merchant group, and they are willing to act as intermediary witnesses. In Samarkand, they can guarantee payment."
Ardan and his companions exchanged surprised glances. The Sogdians were scattered throughout the Silk Road, and their guarantees were indeed trustworthy.
"So how is the catchment calculated?" Seris asked the crucial question.
"We'll charge a commission of three to five percent, depending on the distance and the value of the goods," Liu Bao'er replied calmly. "For large transactions, we can offer a discount."
The negotiations lasted for three full days. Every night, Liu Bao'er had to recalculate the terms and adjust the plan. Looking at the gold hairpin she always wore in her hair, Cui Jiulang couldn't help but ask, "With these concessions, how much profit can we still make?"
"We need to think long-term," Liu Bao'er said, lightly flicking the abacus. "If this deal goes through, the entire trade route of the Western Regions will open up to us."
Finally, at dusk on the fifth day, an agreement was reached. Aldan agreed to deposit goods worth 50,000 strings of cash into the Datong Pawnshop in exchange for an equivalent amount of Silk Road gold certificates. This was the largest transaction since the Datong Pawnshop opened.
On the day of the signing, Liu Bao'er specially wore the old wooden hairpin her mother had left her, and then added a gold abacus hairpin on top. When she stamped the Datong Pawnshop's seal on the contract, Aldan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"These two hairpins, Madam, one represents not forgetting one's roots, and the other represents being shrewd and calculating—truly ingenious."
The news sent shockwaves through the entire Chang'an business community. Previously, goods brought by merchants from the Central Asian countries often took months to sell. Now, with the Silk Road vouchers from Datong Store, transaction efficiency had increased several times over.
Even better, the news quickly spread westward along the Silk Road. In the following month, three more caravans from the Western Regions came to the company, requesting to conduct the same business.
That evening, Liu Bao'er stood on the pavilion, gazing at the magnificent sunset in the west. The two hairpins in her hair shone brightly in the setting sun, just like her mood at that moment—a mixture of nostalgia for the past and anticipation for the future.
Hu Liulai reported: "Master, another Khotan caravan has arrived, carrying the finest jade..."
She gently stroked the abacus beads on the gold hairpin, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Datong Pharmacy's journey has finally taken its first step westward. And this is just the beginning.
The camel bells from the west not only brought exotic business opportunities but also ignited a greater ambition deep within her heart. The journey of Datong Pawnshop was no longer confined to the Tang Dynasty but set sail towards the vast ocean of stars. As for where this ambition would ultimately lead her, at this moment, she felt no fear, only boundless longing.
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